INFERNO AT DUBAI «PREMIER FIVE-HOTEL STAR»

31 december, 2015 – A fire started at the Adress Downtown hotel in Dubai.

On Thursday night, a fire broke out in one of the famous skyscaper in Dubai’s history : The Address Downtown hotel. The so called « dubai’s premier five-hotel star » is located near the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscaper in the world. The fire started around 9.30 p.m and begun on the 20th floor, according to residents. It was a « absolute pandemonium » inside the building one of them said. For now, the cause of the fire is unknown.

Dubai’s media office reported on twitter that the blaze initially developped outside of the 63-storey hotel, and was stopped from spreading inside thanks to the internal fire system. The fire is now « under control » the governement said. Although, it doesn’t seem like it for residents.

« All residents of the hotel were evacuated and there are 14 injured, with light injuries », the Police chief Major General Khamis Matar said to Al Arabiya television. A statement refuted no long after by Reuters new agency : “There are more than 60 people injured with light injuries from smoke inhalation and from crowding while in the stairs evacuating the building.”

Kenneth Flynn was having a drink in the 2nd floor of the hotel with his girlfriend, when the latter saw something falling from sky. By curiosity, he got out and saw the horror of the scene : « I went outside to have a look and by the time I walked out the whole building was just ablaze. The heat was so intense outside ». « There was no fire alarm. I could hear no fire alarm going off », he adds. A true fail for the hotel security system.